20250709 Blackbutt, Linville, Toogoolawah to Fernvale

20250709 Our next stop is the town of Blackbutt to hopefully watch the State of Origin at the local Pub.  Blackbutt earned its name from the abundance of dark-barked eucalyptus trees (E. pilularis) that were extensively logged, leading to the development of sawmills and the establishment of farms. The town saw growth with the establishment of farms in the 1890s, a primary school in 1896, and the extension of the railway line in 1912 today, it's a gateway to the South Burnett and a hub for avocado production.

Like most Murals this one is depicting the towns history of the timber, railway and farming.

Loading the wagon up with logs in the 20th century.

The Hotel Radnor and the only pub in town

We were keen to watch the state of origin at the local pub and didn’t feel like walking too far so we parked on the footpath outside the front of someone’s home and within walking distance to the local drinking hole. After dinner everyone from the bar adjourned to the dining room to watch the game on the big screen. Ya can’t beat watching the State of Origins with the locals in these small country towns, it’s such a hoot, especially when the visitors join in the fun and we all come together.

And what a game it was, there were some disappointed NSW supporters but we all joined the crew in the bar for a celebration drink before heading back to our van.

We woke to a sunny day so we packed up and headed to Linville to camp the night in the campground opposite the old Hotel. It’s a free camp with just a couple of powered sites which we were lucky to score and there’s showers for a gold coin. Once we settled in we grabbed a beer and walking the streets checking out the homes, old and new, some under renovations and some for sale. Down the back of the town is a running creek and if you keep walking you will find what looks like another camp ground with an old tennis court. We continued our walk and to our surprise found an operating sawmill. In the early 20th century Linville, had a significant sawmill industry, the railway's arrival in 1910 facilitated timber transport, leading to the establishment of a sawmill in 1912. Logging was a major local industry until the 1950s, when cattle grazing became dominant.

If your a keen cyclists, horse riders or hiker, you can take advantage of Australia’s longest rail trail that’s 161km long,  you would be surprised how popular this trail is.

The old Sawmill from the 20th century.

The sawmill today.

20250710 We’ve never been to Toogoolawah so after leaving Linville we took a small detour to check it out, the towns history is tied to agriculture, condensed milk production, and railway transport. Initially known as Cressbrook it was changed to Toogoolawah with the arrival of the railway, drawing from an Aboriginal term referencing a tree with a distinctive shape. The factory was sold in 1907 to the Nestlé and Anglo-Swiss Condensed Milk Company, the construction of the packing shed in 1920 followed by an engine room in 1927, enabling the factory to provide electricity to nearby towns. The Great Depression hit in 1929 and factories everywhere faced closure. Production of condensed milk ceased in 1929 with small scale production of unsweetened milk continuing in Toogoolawah until 1938, when the factory closed for good. Nestlé continued to use the site, particularly the bomb shelter built for document storage during the Second World War. A fire destroyed the factory in 1951, when the remaining buildings were sold to the local Somerville family who ran their commercial plumbing business until 2013. Somerset Regional Council purchased the site, with assistance from the Federal Government’s Regional Development Australia fund.

The Main Street in Toogoolawah and the Exchange Hotel.

The first Alexandra Hall was built as a community venture in 1906, it was saved from burning in 1926 by the quick thinking of builder D.A Menzies but burnt down in 1930 after a Ball.

The Hall was rebuilt quickly, re-opening in 1931, today it continues to serve the community as a performance arts, cinema and recreation centre that still has the sling back canvas seats.

The cow symbolizes the town's dairy heritage and community spirit.

Well that’s obvious I would have thought🤷‍♀️

A tribute to the Rural Fire Service (RFS), Toogoolawah Rural Fire Brigade.

I found this mural at Esk-Australian Light Horse, a cavalry unit renowned for its role in battles like the Charge at Beersheba in October 1917, one of the last major cavalry charges in history.

Fernvale, our last stop before we head home and we were amazed at how much the town has grown, should have brought a block here years ago.

I found this picture on the wall at the pub, try and name all the characters, I know Wally Lewis but the rest have me stuffed.

We had an awesome meal at the Fernvale Hotel where Des and I both won a meat tray, lucky us.

Homeward Bound